Super UFO Fighter review

Blending crane game mechanics with the simplicity of a sumo match, Super UFO Fighter is undoubtedly creative. But unless you have a group of friends to play against, don’t expect the game to really dig its claws into you.

The goal of Super UFO Fighter is stunningly simple. Grab and drop a designated item down your chute to score a point. If you’re ever played one of these crane games in real life or in the Yazuka series, then you are probably familiar with the coin-operated amusement common referred to as a “UFO Catcher” (technically, SEGA trademarked the term but it has nearly slipped into generic use).  That’s the basic idea here, although the action is rendered with two dimensional, low-poly visuals.

With real-world claw machines, challenge stems from wrestling with the controls. The coin-ops are habitually fine-tuned to prevent players from easily grabbing prizes like a plush. However, Super UFO Fighter is consistently responsive, with hindrance coming from a second player. Every match pits you against an online, local, or CPU-controlled opponent.

Gow is a Painfully Slow and Weak Character

After selecting from one of the game’s visually distinctive but noticeably unbalanced characters, you’ll be assigned one side of the screen. As gachapon balls fall from the top of the screen, characters punch at the orbs with melee attacks. Eventually, the balls shatter, revealing cute items like tiny console cartridges, tanuki, and toy rings with oversized gemstones.  When a glowing prize appears, you’ll use your character’s tractor beam to try guide the item to your side of the playfield, before dropping it down the scoring chute. Simultaneously, your opponent is trying to do the same thing.

There are a few nuances. Ordinary items can also be tossed down your chute. When this occurs, you’ll raise the barrier outside of your rival’s scoring zone. Of course, when you’re fixated on making things difficult for your opponent, you give them an opportunity for a quick score. You can also thump challengers with your melee ability, leaving them immobile for a second or two. Occasionally, matches can come to a comical standstill as a skirmish breaks out, with rivals playing tug-of-war with their tractor beams.

Obnoxious Air Horn For Every Goal

Super UFO Fighter isn’t a deep game, and you’ll master the fundamentals in few minutes. That makes it especially good for competitions against more casual gamers, who won’t have to struggle with learning things like combos or strategies. Instead of planning approaches or conquering controls, players react to what’s happening in the moment thanks to an accessible two-button input scheme. The sole exception is when a scoring prize falls into a drain hole next to a chute. Soon, it’s flung back to an outlet at the top of screen. Sometimes, that puts the prize on a trajectory for landing in your competitor’s chute. But that’s more of a frustration that tactic. It’s hard to predict how an item will bounce given the game’s deliberately wonky physics.

However, isolated players probably won’t be entertained for long. There’s a storied campaign to tackle. But there’s a minimal sense of progression as you make your way through a series of matches. Yes, there’s some dialog through visual novel-style conversations and unlockables for winning. But the matches don’t evolve or offer enough variety, beyond forcing you to play as different characters. Opponent AI is another problem. Intermittently, my CPU-controlled adversary stood around motionless or couldn’t break free when under a pile of prizes and gacha balls.

Conclusion

Online play is a bit better, with region-based matchmaking and lag-free play. At the time of this writing, there weren’t many people playing in some geographical zones, so you might have to experiment at different times of the day to find an opponent. That said, the game’s simple matches are best suited for local play, where the frustration of losing a tense match is palpable. In person, the game shows it potential and could probably draw a crowd in barcades.

Super UFO Fighter strives of longevity with stage gimmicks and advanced abilities like tossing an item to stun your competitor. Although the presence of multiple modes attempts to add value, it’s really just more of the same game. Ideally, Super UFO Fighter would be a mini-game in a larger collection of similar competitions. As it stands, it’s just not fleshed out enough to stand on its own.

Super UFO Fighter was played on PC
with review code provided by the publisher.